Ningen no Maryoku
by Kuronue's Hat
Summary: [Post anime] A group hunting for 'ningen no maryoku' attempts to kidnap Yusuke's daughter, thinking that Yusuke is the one they are searching for. But things don't go as planned. And just when Hiei thinks he has sorted out his feelings for Kurama...
1. Sakuya's Party

**I**

The late Genkai's residence was a quiet, secluded place nestled in the mountains outside of Tokyo. The ancient structures had long served as a training hall for priests and martial artists, as well as a sanctuary and resting place for lost travelers, but because few wanderers had ever stumbled across the temple, the spacious halls and courtyards had been as silent as the grave for many years.

On this day, however, the entire place seemed to have sprung to life. The courtyard behind the heavy wooden gates had been decorated, the branches of the maple trees adorned with paper lanterns that dangled in the air. Genkai's arcade games had been brought out of retirement for the celebration, and while _Goblin City_ and _Dorago the Monster_ remained classics, some of the smaller children could not fathom why their scores were so low when they played the punching game and sang karaoke.

More important than the decorations and games, however, was the sudden change in the population of intelligent life. There were easily as many as fifty humans at this gathering. Everyone was dressed in their autumn kimono, the radiant colors of the little ones contrasting starkly with the darker shades the adults had donned.

Of course, that did not mean humans were the_ only _people who had shown up for the occasion...

"Hey, Jin! Sakuya-_chan_ says she likes your present!" Urameshi Yusuke yelled over the heads of some human kids, his loud voice carrying across the cobblestone grounds of the main courtyard.

"Thank you, Jin-_san_!" Sakuya called from atop her father's shoulders. The present in question, a white cloud doll with black button eyes and a stitched smile, rested atop her chestnut hair like a bizarre hat. The wind goblin's ears wiggled happily, and Touya rolled his eyes.

"You're welcome there, sweetie!" Jin yelled back, his hands cupped to either side of his mouth for amplification. Touya fisted a hand in the loud violet cotton of Jin's kimono, barely managing to pull his friend back onto the ground (since the wind goblin's feet had been hovering several inches above where a human's should have been).

"You could at least try to act normal," Touya muttered. "There are humans present, if you'll recall, and they aren't supposed to know about Makai."

"Lighten up, Touya! I'm not the only one who's acting like a demon! Besides, how exactly am I supposed to hide these?" Jin replied cheerfully, pointing at one of his twitching ears. The ice demon let out a sigh of resignation before popping a strawberry from Sakuya's birthday cake into his mouth.

Jin and Touya were not the only otherworldly creatures who had been invited to the girl's party. Less than twenty feet away, on the wooden platform of the makeshift stage, a trio of female demons in stylish autumn kimono were singing karaoke. Koto, Juri, and Ruka all seemed to be trying to drown each other out, resulting in a very loud chorus of "Love Song wo Anata ni".

Meanwhile, at the refreshment table, Rinku was enjoying the party immensely. The demon boy was laughing along with a pair of cute human girls. Chu, the aura alchemist reputed for being soused at all hours of the day, was too busy hitting on a stern-looking woman to keep tabs on his little buddy. In actuality, nearly half of the guests at the affair were from the demon plane, though very few of the humans present knew that little fact.

Urameshi Keiko happened to be one of those informed humans. She was seated in a metal folding chair in the corner of the yard, fondly surveying her daughter and husband over the rim of her paper cup. Her long, shiny chestnut hair had been pulled into an elegant French braid, and combined with her kimono, a warm, cocoa-colored garment embroidered with pale yellow leaves, she was quite the pretty wallflower.

Beside her sat another wallflower, Yukina. Her body resembled that of a girl in the middle of her teenage years, though she was possibly older than Keiko herself. The koorime's soft aquamarine hair was loose today, and her pale blue yukata had been traded for a red kimono that matched her eyes. She was beaming softly while Kuwabara Kazuma grinned and blabbered on about his new job at one of Tokyo's pharmacies.

All in all, the scene was beautiful. The fifth birthday of Urameshi Sakuya had managed to bring the two living worlds together, reuniting friends who had not seen one another for more than ten years. The image of humans and demons laughing and celebrating in the autumn sunshine might not have been one of which the higher beings approved, but it was a pleasant one all the same.

Stealthy as the shadows from which he was born, the Jaganshi appeared in one of the gold and crimson maple trees. He observed the party for a moment with catlike red eyes. Questioning. Calculating.

His presence did not go unnoticed for long. Kuwabara suddenly stopped his rambling, head snapping from one side to the other.

"Kazuma-_san_? What's wrong?" Yukina asked. The abrupt cease of conversation had caught the koorime off her guard, and she blinked at Kuwabara with mingled curiosity and surprise.

"Not wrong," Kuwabara muttered. "It's just... I could have sworn I sensed something."

The demon in the tree snorted softly, realizing that the bumbling orange-haired man had picked up on his aura. Subconsciously noting and approving of the fact that Kuwabara's reikan had improved over the years, the Jaganshi focused his attention on the apparent cause of the commotion. He leapt from his branch and appeared in the crowd several feet before the ex-Reikai Tantei.

Yusuke paused in his steps. He had felt the dark, powerful presence as well, and like Kuwabara, had been unable to immediately recognize the aura. As soon as his eyes landed on the source of that semi familiar energy, however, Yusuke lost any trace of worry he may have had. His dark brown eyes took on a bright gleam, and his mouth stretched into a wide grin.

"No way!" Yusuke exclaimed, nearly yelling in his excitement.

Hiei raised an eyebrow. He knew (and did not care) that he stood out in this crowd, being the only person who was not wearing one of the traditional Japanese robes. His black shirt was missing sleeves altogether, and his legs were clad in equally dark breeches. A cloak, midnight-blue and scattered with white stars, had been draped around his shoulders, and a cord of black satin was barely visible beneath the lightweight mantel.

"What's the occasion?" Hiei asked in a dull, somehow amused voice, watching as the former Reikai Tantei approached him. The young female sitting on his shoulders was an exact replica of Yusuke's human mate, he noticed, though the cloud doll that was perched on top of her head reminded him more of that ridiculous blue phoenix.

"Birthday," Yusuke replied, his smile never fading. "Wow! You sure picked a good day to show up here! And look at you! What happened to you, did you down a jug of Miracle Grow or something?" Hiei blinked slowly, not entirely sure what that last comment was supposed to imply. Thankfully, Yusuke cottoned on to the minor communication failure. "You're taller."

"Your point?"

"I... Well, there wasn't really a _point_, man. I was just saying..." Yusuke cut off his explanation, realizing that Hiei was making fun of him. The demon was smirking wickedly, allowing his sharp white canines to flash in the sunshine. Yusuke felt a mix of anger and happiness bubble up inside of him. "Hiei, you little jerk!"

Something gleamed in the demon's eyes, and Hiei suddenly shocked Yusuke out of his wits by tossing his head back and laughing. Yusuke had heard that sound the day he had learned of his own demon ancestry, but now the voice was different, deeper and richer. It did not match the dark, forbidding aura that normally emanated from Hiei's body, but for just right now, this was the demon with whom Yusuke had defended the worlds.

"So," Hiei said, his laughter receding. "A birthday, you said?"

"Yeah." Yusuke lifted the little girl off his shoulders, placing her on her feet. "Sakuya-_chan_'s birthday."

"Hn."

Hiei clasped his hands behind his back, slowly circling the girl and looking her up and down. Her large, bright irises were a chocolate-brown color—darker than Keiko's honey-colored eyes, but lighter than Yusuke's umber ones. Her chestnut locks had been inherited from her mother, made obvious by the short cut that mimicked Keiko's old hairstyle. She was dressed in a short orange kimono with crimson flowers and green leaves embroidered all over it.

Having completed the circle, Hiei stopped in front of Sakuya, staring down into the girl's wide brown eyes with his calm red ones.

In a movement faster than human eyes could detect, the satin cord which had rested around Hiei's neck was suddenly in his bandaged hand. Centered by a ruby the size of a pebble, a trio of serpentine dragons were molded into the front of the silver pendant. Hiei dangled it in front of Sakuya's surprised face.

"Sorry it isn't wrapped," he said. "But you wouldn't have kept the paper anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Sakuya cupped her hands, allowing Hiei to drop the pendant. She blinked down at her impromptu gift for a moment, and then glanced up at the demon.

"Thank you, Hiei-_san_," Sakuya murmured.

"Sakuya-_chan_!" A small group of children ran up to them, slowed by their cumbersome sandals and kimono. The leader was a black-eyed demon girl whose hair tumbled all the way down her back in deep purple curls. "Sakuya-_chan_, can you teach us how to sing the karaoke? You always get really high scores, but no matter how hard we try, we can't score over forty."

"Yeah, Sakuya-_chan_," Yusuke said with a playful wink. "Why don't you go show them how it's done? We're going to talk for a while. Maybe we'll even get around to some karaoke. How 'bout it, Hiei?"

The Jaganshi snorted loudly at the thought.

"Okay," Sakuya said confusedly, allowing the demon girl to grab her hand and pull her toward the open doors of the main hall. Glancing back, Sakuya called over one shoulder. "Thanks again, Hiei-_san_! It was nice meeting you!"

She disappeared into the flashing lights of the arcade room.

Yusuke and Hiei were silent for a few moments, simply staring at the place where Sakuya had been. The Jaganshi suddenly glanced around.

"Where is Kurama?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh." Yusuke smirked. "He's probably hanging out with his boyfriend."

Hiei jerked his head back, looking stunned.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah." Yusuke caught the look on Hiei's face and amended his statement. "Well, no, they aren't really. But those guys have been joined at the hip since they came here. It's about time Kurama found someone. I was getting kind of worried, you know, because he was always alone before now."

Hiei's eyes were suddenly dark and glaring.

"Yomi's been trying to get hold of Kurama for a week now, and he's been off having a roll in the sheets?"

"Hey, that's not fair, Hiei," Yusuke said defensively. "Kurama is not having _a roll in the sheets_. He's found someone he can be really close to, and I don't think I've seen one without the other since they got off the plane. They're friends, and I'm just happy to see that Kurama has stopped moping around. He was depressed for a while after you walked out on him, you know."

"It's not like I could help it—"

"Bullshit," Yusuke growled. "You hated this world and all the humans who lived in it. You couldn't wait to run back to Makai. Did you ever stop to think about Kurama's feelings before you left?"

"He's not some weepy female who falls apart every time he's alone, Yusuke," Hiei pointed out.

"Yeah, and he's not some heartless asshole who abandons his friends when they need him, either," Yusuke returned casually. He gestured vaguely toward a corner of the courtyard. "But it doesn't matter. He's over there, you can talk to him yourself."

Hiei looked in the direction Yusuke had pointed out, eyes immediately locking on his old friend.

Kurama was resplendent in a powder-blue kimono embroidered with leafy green vines and bunches of reddish purple grapes. His long mane was gathered into a high ponytail that tumbled past his shoulders like a bloody waterfall, and a few of the rebellious locks had escaped from the elastic band to frame his eternally youthful face. His emerald eyes were warm and bright, and a smile played across his lips as he talked with his boyfriend.

The other man had large brown eyes and a mop of sandy hair. He was wearing a kimono as well, though with a more subdued pattern of black and purple stripes. Somewhat handsome, and looking only too pleased to be talking to the kitsune, he chattered away with just as much enthusiasm as Kuwabara had when trying to impress Yukina. Perhaps it was just the distance affecting his hearing, but Hiei thought the human's speech had a strange accent.

With only the feeblest attempt at calming himself, Hiei walked toward them. Although he schooled his expression into a mask of indifference, he could not contain the waves of anger that radiated from his body.

Kurama turned around quickly when he sensed the formidable aura. He blinked rapidly, surprise evident on his face.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked.

"Hey. Been awhile," Hiei replied coolly. "I see you've had no difficulty in finding someone else to keep you company."

Kurama blinked, his mouth falling open. At first there was only a choking sound, but his words came out very strongly and clearly a moment later.

"You run off to Makai for ten years, not contacting me at all, not letting me know whether or not you're even _alive_, and then when you finally come back to Ningenkai you get jealous because I'm talking with a friend? You have a funny way of showing you care, Hiei."

"Cut the crap. I don't have time for it." Demonic red eyes flicked to the sandy-haired human. "I'd like to talk to my _friend _in private, if you don't mind me borrowing him for a while. We have some catching up to do."

The human blinked for a moment, glancing between Hiei and Kurama with a look of discomfort on his face.

Hiei did not bother waiting around for the human's response. He gripped Kurama's forearm in one hand, practically dragging the kitsune out of the courtyard and under the cover of the trees. He led them for a while, eventually coming to a clearing far enough away that they should not be overheard. Kurama jerked his arm out of Hiei's grasp and ran a hand over the bruised skin.

"What in the world do you think you're—"

"Yomi summoned you a week ago. Why haven't you gone back?"

"Did he?" Kurama asked, voice somewhat cooler than it had been among the humans. "This is the first I've heard of it. And since when do you care about what Yomi wants?"

"Since Mukuro signed a nonaggression pact with him a year ago. Or is this the first you've heard of that, too?" Hiei's eyes narrowed at Kurama's startled look. "It is, isn't it. Where the hell have you been?"

The kitsune recovered as quickly as he always did.

"I only came back to Tokyo a couple of weeks ago. I was working in New York for a while, and I haven't had contact with any demons besides Yusuke and Yukina for nearly two years."

"New York?"

"It's on the other side of Ningenkai. In North America," Kurama explained.

"So, is that where that human child came from?"

"Jimi is _not_ a child. He is a fully competent adult, thank you. And yes, that's where Jimi came from. He lived in the apartment across the hall from mine, and we got around to talking one day. He has some psychic awareness, and we have a lot in common. Jimi came with me because he's interested in Japanese culture, and wanted to see what it's like actually living here."

"Oh, is that all?" At Kurama's confused look, Hiei clarified. "You two looked a bit more than friendly to me. Even Yusuke noticed it, and he's dumber than a brick when it comes to relationships. I don't think Japan is what he's interested in."

Kurama's cheeks flushed a little, but for the most part he seemed to keep his cool.

"What business is it of yours? You left."

"I explained my reasons," Hiei snapped. "Mukuro wants me to be her successor in the small chance that she becomes unfit to rule her part of Makai. I can't be in two worlds at once, Kurama. I have to stay where I'm most needed."

"For ten years? You could have at least sent a letter or visited once in a while. You said it yourself, there's only a small chance that she won't be able to take care of her portion of Makai. Surely you could have taken some time out of your busy schedule and come back for a few days."

"I did come back. I came back dozens of times so that I could check on Yukina."

"Kuwabara-_kun_ would never let anything happen to your sister, and you know it," Kurama said softly. His eyes had suddenly lost their intensity. "Today was an accident, wasn't it? Did you come here to check on Yukina-_san_, not guessing that today was Sakuya-_chan_'s birthday? I'll bet you never even knew Yusuke had a child."

Hiei simply looked at him, not offering a response to these accusations. His silence was the only answer necessary. Kurama bowed his head, his dark green eyes focusing on the ground.

"I see. You never intended to come back at all."

"What would you have had me do, Kurama? Stay in Ningenkai with you?" Hiei's eyes shimmered a dusky carmine. "We both know that I'm not suited to the kind of human life the rest of you chose. It's better for me to stay in Makai. Everything I've ever wanted or needed is there."

"Fine." Kurama lifted his head again. He was clearly feeling down, but his eyes were dry. "Do whatever benefits yourself without a thought for the people who care about you. Yusuke, Kuwabara-_kun_, myself—even Yukina-_san_ comes second in your eyes. I can hardly believe how selfish you are."

Kurama brushed past Hiei, heading toward the temple again. Hiei dug one fang into his lower lip.

"Kurama, wait." Hiei appeared in front of Kurama, clasping their hands together. He stared up into Kurama's eyes. "I did think about you when I went to Makai. I knew you would be upset when I left, but... Honestly, Kurama, was there any other option? You wouldn't leave your family and come with me, and I would have been miserable here. It wouldn't have worked out."

"It doesn't matter anymore, Hiei," Kurama said in a cool, detached voice. "You left, and I'm tired of waiting for someone I can never have. Just go back to Makai and be happy."

Hiei stared up at Kurama with troubled eyes. Finally, he reached up and tugged on one of the loose strands of hair that framed Kurama's face. He placed a chaste kiss upon his friend's cheek and quickly disappeared, leaving behind only the sweet scent of Makai spices to show that he had ever been there.

Kurama's fingers trailed over the gentle curve of his cheekbone, where Hiei's warm lips had been only a moment before. His eyes darkened to a greenish black shade. Kurama heaved a sigh, the only sign that he might be unsettled, and brushed imaginary wrinkles from the front of his kimono before leaving the clearing.

Carefully wading through the sea of children and demons, Kurama returned to the temple. They seemed to surge around him on all sides, becoming one loud, colorful mass. He paused in the center of the crowd, closing his eyes and pressing one hand to his forehead. So much noise, so much color—the party was a sensory overload. He needed to get away from here. He needed...

All of a sudden, a pair of arms looped around him from behind and pulled him against a warm chest. Kurama tensed momentarily, but soon allowed himself to be held when he realized that the person was merely trying to keep him steady. He was startled when he discovered that he actually needed the support; the excitement of the party and the shock of seeing Hiei again had left him strangely weak in the knees.

"Here," Jimi murmured in his ear. He loosened his arms from around Kurama's body and moved to stand before the kitsune, placing his hands on the other man's shoulders. Kurama felt a pang in his chest when he saw the concern in the human's eyes. "Are you okay? You look pale."

"It's nothing, Jimi. All this noise is giving me a headache, that's all," Kurama answered, offering the human a painful smile. Jimi knew he was lying, but he simply moved his hands down along Kurama's arms so that he was clasping Kurama's hands. The motion was not so dissimilar to what Hiei had done only moments before. Kurama trembled at the thought, feeling just as lonely and hurt as he had when Hiei had left ten years ago.

"Shhh," Jimi soothed, noticing the trembling of Kurama's body and the glimmer of his emerald eyes. The human pulled the kitsune forward, embracing him with one hand while he tangled the other in dark red hair. "Come on. Maybe you should sit down for a while."

"I don't want to sit down," Kurama said, pressing his cheek against the human's shoulder. He refused to cry, but the pained tone of his voice clearly showed how badly he wanted to break down. "I—I just want to go home."

"All right." Jimi brushed Kurama's hair back away from his forehead and kissed the exposed skin. "We can go home now. No one is forcing you to stay here."

Kurama nodded, allowing Jimi to lead him through the crowd. He heard some of the other guests calling to him, but he could not find the energy to converse with any of them. He merely heaved a weary sigh and leaned his head against Jimi's shoulder, closing his eyes.

_A/N: Yes, my lovelies, here is my newest story. I hope you like it. It contains shounen-ai, by the way, mostly revolving around Hiei+Kurama (yes, Hiei is seme this time around). There is also Jimi+Kurama, naturally._


	2. Takai and Hoshi

**II**

The morning after the party was sunny and clear. Kurama departed from his house early and headed for Urameshi Atsuko's old condo, where Yusuke and Keiko had taken up residence after Sakuya's birth. By the time Kurama showed up, Yusuke was already standing outside.

"Thanks for taking Sakuya-_chan_," Yusuke said, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. "Kuwabara was supposed to take her, but apparently someone called in sick at the pharmacy and he had to cut his vacation short."

"Some things can't be helped," Kurama said, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, I don't mind taking Sakuya-_chan_. I pass by her preschool every day on my way to work, so it isn't exactly out of my way."

"Yeah."

The door opened, and Keiko walked out of the condo, holding her daughter's hand in her own. Sakuya was dressed in a pale pink shirt and a jumper made of some dusty rose material. A matching headband swept her chestnut hair away from her face, though some of the shorter strands were left to hang over her forehead.

As soon as she saw Kurama, Sakuya released her mother's hand and ran up to hug him around the legs.

"Good morning, Kurama-_san_!" Sakuya greeted happily. Kurama smiled calmly, patting her on the head as if she were an overeager puppy.

"Good morning, Sakuya-_chan_," he responded, carefully disengaging himself from Sakuya. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah!" Sakuya said with a quick nod. Kurama offered one of his hands to the young girl, and she beamed as she clasped his hand in her own. "Guess what? Sanada-_sensei_ is bringing in a new fish for our aquarium."

"Oh, really? What kind?"

"We don't know. It's a surprise!"

"A surprise, hmm? That sounds like fun," Kurama said. He glanced over his shoulder at Yusuke, nodding at him for reassurance as he and Sakuya began their trek.

Sakuya babbled cheerfully about everything that happened in her preschool while they walked down the street, and Kurama felt some of the tension he had been feeling since yesterday melt away as the girl's empathic waves washed over him. They turned a corner and began to walk down an empty street lined with grass and trees, and Kurama glanced down at Sakuya. He frowned when he caught sight of something he had never seen before.

"Sakuya-_chan_, what is this?" Kurama asked, fingering the cord of black satin that rested around her neck. Sakuya hummed in confusion, but never stopped walking as she glanced up at the kitsune. She pulled her necklace out from underneath her jumper, the pendant gleaming in the sunshine.

"I'm supposed to hide this under my jumper so that I don't lose it," Sakuya said, turning the pendant so that Kurama could see the molded dragons more clearly. "Do you like it? Hiei-_san_ gave it to me." The mention of Hiei's name made Kurama stop dead in his tracks. Sakuya blinked in confusion, turning around to look at the pale kitsune. "Kurama-_san_? What's wrong?"

Kurama closed his eyes, attempting to recover some of his composure. He soon opened them again and resumed walking, though his face was several shades paler than it should have been.

"You met Hiei?" the kitsune asked, his tone guarded. Sakuya nodded as she began to walk beside him.

"Mm. He was at the party yesterday. He was really nice," Sakuya replied. She tipped her head to one side, looking at Kurama curiously. "Do you know Hiei-_san_, too?"

Kurama did not stop walking, but his eyes fell to the ground in front of him.

"He was my best friend, once upon a time," Kurama said softly. "He was offered a chance to return to his homeland, but I refused to leave with him. We haven't really spoken to each other since then. I sometimes wonder if I should have gone..." Kurama glanced down at Sakuya, who was staring at him confusedly, and he shook his head with a chuckle. "Never mind. It's nothing a child should be concerned about."

"But why?" They began to walk past a large tree. "Why didn't you leave?"

Kurama opened his mouth to answer, but he stopped abruptly, hearing a soft hum that made every muscle in his body tense. He snapped his head around quickly, searching for the source of the unnerving hum, and his eyes grew several times larger than normal as burning red aura shot toward them from behind.

Sakuya only had time to gasp as Kurama grabbed her by the front of her jumper and tugged her onto the grass that grew on the side of the street. Barely a second after they reached the ground, the sphere of crimson energy rushed over their heads, ruffling their hair and clothing as it slammed into the tree that they had been passing. An enormous scorch mark appeared on the tree's bark when the energy crashed into the trunk.

Kurama moved into a crouching position and snatched three blades of grass from the patch of greenery, staring at the place the attack had come from. His emerald eyes darkened and narrowed dangerously.

"Stay down, Sakuya-_chan_," Kurama ordered in a soft voice.

In the middle of the empty street stood two demons. The smaller one was a female wearing a black cheongsam that hugged the generous curves of her body. Her raven hair was long and flowed like a banner on the wind, and her deep brown eyes were blank. She was poised in a defensive stance, with her feet spread apart on the ground, and her hands were clasped in front of her lap, the pointer fingers drawn together in an imitation of a gun.

Her male companion was nearly six feet tall. The red haori he was wearing over his cream kimono had a navy dragon embroidered on the back, and it had been left open to reveal his tanned chest. His dark blue hair draped around his shoulders, shaggy and uneven, and a navy bandana was secured around his forehead. Bandages were wrapped around his forearms to keep his strong muscles from tearing away from his body.

"Youko Kurama," the male demon acknowledged after a moment of silence. He had a comfortable drawl that conveyed ease and self-confidence. "Fancy meeting you here. You're not who we're after today, so why dontcha just step aside?"

Kurama rose to his feet, staring at the two demons. His eyes had hardened until they resembled emeralds, sharp and lacking the warmth they normally displayed.

"Who are you?" he asked in a cold voice.

"You are not our target, Youko Kurama," the female said, her tone as blank and emotionless as her eyes. She calmly raised her clasped hands so that her fingers were pointed at him, and a sphere of crimson energy began to shimmer at her fingertips. "Step aside, and you shall not be harmed."

"C'mon, you don't need to be so cold. He asked us a question, and I don't see any reason not to answer," the male demon reproached. The female, who had previously displayed no signs of emotion, rolled her eyes at the male's playfulness. He merely rolled his own eyes back at her, and then turned to look at Kurama, flashing the kitsune an easy smile. "The name's Takai, and my partner here is named Hoshi."

"Names are of no importance," Hoshi said sharply, apparently trying to compensate for Takai's easygoing demeanor with her own professionalism. "This is your last chance. Step aside now, or we will have no choice but to harm you."

"It looked to me as if you were already trying to harm me. Or was that supposed to be a warning shot?" Kurama said, his eyes focused on the sphere of energy that glowed at the female demon's fingertips.

"We came for the girl," Takai said, nodding his head in Sakuya's direction. "Hand her over now, and you can go free. I really don't wanna have to hurt someone as cute as you just to get at her."

"Retreat might be a good idea for both of you." Kurama's eyes narrowed even further as he moved into a graceful stance. He brought his hands in front of him, elegant and ready to attack or defend as necessary, and poured some of his energy into the blades of grass that he held between his fingers. Each blade lengthened and became as sharp as the edge of a knife. "If you so much as touch her, you die."

Takai's dark eyes moved along each of the grass blades avidly.

"Your control over plants is impressive. I always thought that kitsune controlled fire," he murmured. The demon unfastened the belt that kept his haori in place and tossed the coat away, allowing the red cloth to pool on the asphalt of the street. He crouched down in a stance that vaguely resembled kung-fu, that easy smile lingering on his face. "Wanna see what I can do?"

There was a moment of pause. A gust of wind drifted from down the street, blowing gently through the area and causing the leaves on the trees to rustle.

He never saw him move. As soon as the breeze had passed, Takai appeared in front of him, and Kurama had to raise his grass blades above his head in order to block a downward chop from Takai's left hand. The demon's bare hand was flashing with pale blue energy that crackled with black sparks.

Kurama struggled to keep the hand from descending upon him, but it was not an easy feat, as Takai's physical strength was greater than his own. Kurama glanced up at his opponent to see if the demon was having as much trouble as he was, but he felt his heart plummet when he saw that the taller male was hardly putting forth any effort. Takai was staring down at him, his dark eyes gleaming as his energy protected his skin from the sharp edges of the grass blades.

"Not bad," the demon commented. Grabbing Kurama's left forearm with his right hand, he leaned down suddenly, pressing his firm mouth against Kurama's lips in a quick kiss.

The move startled the kitsune so much that he nearly released his energy from the grass blades. His eyes had become round and wide from shock, but moments later, they narrowed into slits. He turned his grass blades around and slashed at the demon with all his strength, letting out a cry of fury. Takai was forced to step back in order to dodge the blow, which had been aimed at his bare neck, and the demon laughed, apparently pleased.

"Takai, stop fooling around. We were hired to collect the child, not toy with one of her guardians," Hoshi said in a disapproving tone. She was standing on the other side of the clearing, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed over her chest, apparently having chosen to let her partner handle the fight alone.

"'All work and no play,'" Takai said as he slashed his glowing hand at Kurama, this time aiming to chop the kitsune horizontally across the waist. At the same moment, Kurama stomped his left heel into the ground, and the grass beneath his foot matured instantly, forming a small barrier that blocked Takai's hand. As the demon pulled his hand from the wall of squirming grass, Kurama struck. Takai, however, was much faster than he had anticipated, and drew away before Kurama could actually harm him.

Takai glanced down to assess the damage. He had mostly evaded Kurama's attack, the grass blades only managing to tear the front of his kimono and leave some cuts across his chest. Smiling at the wounds, Takai used the palm of his free hand to wipe the blood away. He then brought the hand to his mouth so that he could lap up the blood, staring at the kitsune as he did so.

Moments later, Takai moved forward again, his hand sweeping down in a final chopping motion. Blue energy gleamed menacingly around his hand, crackling with black electricity. His aura provided the demon with so much power that, on contact with Kurama's blades, the plants shattered. The kitsune leapt backward into the branches of the scorched tree, allowing the broken grass to drift to the asphalt as useless shreds.

_A hand-to-hand fighter... I have to keep my distance._

Kurama swept his hair over his shoulder elegantly, pushing his energy into the rosebud that he kept behind his ear. The bud quickly matured, lengthening and blossoming into a red rose.

With a snap of his hand and another burst of green energy, the red rose elongated to form a green whip that was covered with deadly thorns. Kurama jumped from the tree, lashing down at Takai as he was in midair. The demon managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, though the thorns of the whip tore at the sleeve of his kimono and sprayed a few drops of blood on the cream cloth.

"You're really trying, huh?" the demon asked, sounding amused.

Kurama lashed out again, but instead of dodging, Takai reached out and caught the end of the rose whip with one glowing hand. A handsome smirk appeared on his face as he pulled with both hands, forcing Kurama to take a reluctant step toward him. The kitsune tugged uselessly on the handle of his weapon, and when he realized that he could not free it from the demon's grasp, he released his end. The weapon became a rose once more.

"A present?" Takai asked, bringing the rose to his face and inhaling its scent. His dark eyes fell halfway closed as he breathed the sweet perfume of the flower. "Your scent, too. Real romantic."

Despite his best efforts to stay calm, Kurama could not help the lovely blush that warmed his cheeks. _This has gone on long enough._

"_Fuka Enbujin_!" Kurama shouted. Thousands of lavender petals appeared, seemingly caught in an unseen twister. They surrounded the kitsune, drawing together in a protective shell. Some of the petals struck the tree behind him, cutting leaves from their branches and leaving deep scars in the trunk.

"So beautiful," Takai murmured breathlessly, his dark eyes gleaming as he stared at the scarred tree. His smile widened. "I'm gonna enjoy tearing you apart...in more ways than one."

"Orders, Takai," Hoshi reminded the demon. "We need to wrap this up. You can indulge in your fantasies later."

Kurama raised his arm and swung it at Takai, causing the sharpened petals to fly toward the demon.

"Hoshi takes herself way too seriously," Takai said casually, shaking his head. "But I guess she has a point. There'll be time to play with you later."

The demon dodged to the side, leaving the sharpened petals to sail past him harmlessly. Kurama gasped, taking a step backward as the demon ran at him, a blur of speed. Before he could so much as scream, Takai appeared in front of him, smashing the heel of his hand into the stunned kitsune's chest. A moment later, the demon appeared behind him, and a chop connected with the back of Kurama's neck. A pained moan escaped the kitsune's lips as he tumbled forward.

"We were ordered to collect Urameshi's daughter," Hoshi told Takai. "You know that we are going to have our pay cut for being late."

"Eh, don't worry so much, Hoshi," Takai said unconcernedly. "We can take him to the boss as a present. He'll get over the delay real quick."

Kurama let out a weak moan, struggling feebly as Takai picked him up and swung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The last thing Kurama heard before passing out was Sakuya's scream of terror.

_A/N: Sorry. I know it shouldn't have been so easy for Takai to beat Kurama, but I'm really, really bad with fight scenes. (wonders why she writes fanfics for a fighting anime) Anyway, I hope you liked this. Oh yeah, the characters from this chapter are based on Kikyo from Inuyasha and Tsukioka Tsunan from Rurouni Kenshin. Incidentally, Takai's comment about kitsune: traditionally, they control fire. Kurama's a freak. (dodges various sharp objects) Kidding! Sheesh._


End file.
